Wrigley Announces U.S. Launch for Orbit® Sugarfree Chewing Gum April 11, 2001 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CHICAGO (April 11, 2001) - Starting this week, retailers and wholesalers across the country are being introduced to the latest innovation in the sugarfree gum category - Orbit® - from the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company. Orbit is a tab product that features great taste with a "just brushed clean feeling"™ for an unbeatable combination. In fact, this exciting new product, with its unique, envelope-style package, set new highs for the Wrigley Company in terms of consumer test results versus competitive offerings. Orbit comes in a 14-piece package with a suggested retail price of $0.99. It will be offered in two versions - peppermint and Wintermint™. Wintermint gum offers consumers the latest, breakthrough flavor from the Wrigley Company and is the biggest news in terms of chewing gum flavor for the U.S. since last summer's rollout of the Polar Ice™ versions of Wrigley's Extra® and Eclipse® brands. Orbit will begin shipping to the trade in July; by August, the brand is expected to have established a meaningful presence on store shelves; and a wide-ranging, integrated consumer marketing program will kick off in September. "We are very excited about this latest Wrigley entry into the U.S. chewing gum market," stated Rory Finlay, Senior Director - Consumer Marketing at Wrigley. "Orbit is already the Wrigley Company's top-selling brand across Europe, and it now joins a U.S. product lineup featuring Extra, the top-selling sugarfree gum in the U.S., and Eclipse, the fastest-growing U.S. sugarfree gum brand. Consumers can now choose among these three Wrigley sugarfree offerings according to their preferred product format - tab (Orbit), stick (Extra) or pellet (Eclipse) - as well as the core benefit they are seeking - 'just brushed clean feeling' (Orbit), extra long-lasting flavor (Extra) or 'immediate breath control'™ (Eclipse)." "Orbit is more than just a new brand," observed Gary McCullough, Senior Vice President - Americas. "It creates a platform for chewing gum products that can provide meaningful dental benefits to consumers without sacrificing great taste and an enjoyable chewing experience. Consumers and our trade partners expect nothing but the best from the Wrigley Company, and Orbit will deliver on those expectations in the marketplace." FROM: WM. WRIGLEY JR. COMPANY Christopher J. Perille Director - Corporate Communications Phone: (312) 644-2121 To the extent that statements contained in this press release may be considered forward-looking statements, the following will be deemed to be the Company's meaningful cautionary disclosure regarding such statements. A variety of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results or expectations expressed. The important factors that could affect these outcomes are set forth in Exhibit 99 to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2000. << Back